CHARISMA STRONGER THAN A SUPER TYPHOON

By Bayawanon

The people keep on praising the president because he is good despite the blunders that he had committed. Imagine the Extra Judicial Killings that he spearheaded against the so-called bad elements in the society especially the drug personalities, the abandonment of the decision of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Seas in relation of the Philippine victory over China as regards the Philippines' territorial claims in the Spratlys, the gargantuan loan of the Philippines from China with huge interest rates, the passage of the anti-poor Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, the political persecution that he had committed against his detractors like Senator Leila de Lima, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, Commission on Human Rights Chairman Chito Gascon etc., the non implementation of his campaign promise of decontractualization of the private sector, the hero's burial of Ferdinand Marcos, a former dictator, etc,etc,

Despite these blunders the president had committed, the majority of the people still love him. Why? Can they not discern what is right from wrong? Does it mean that they do not care about our political situation anymore? Or they simply enjoy the damage that he is doing to the country?

Many people are happy about the Extra-Judicial Killings that are happening nowadays against the drug addicts, drug pushers, drug lords but they are not pushing for the annihilation of other undesirables in the community like the corrupt government officials, prostitutes, pimps, tax evaders, illegal gamblers, big time and small time thieves. Why? Are the other criminals and undesirables more special than the drug personalities?

The people are mum as regards to the Philippine Claim in the Spratlys which Duterte has ideally abandoned. All they care about are the acts of the president where they feel like they were benefitted, like the free college tuition fee, the free hospitalization, free medicine, the extension of the lifespan of the driver's licenses, the extension of the lifespan of the passports which PRACTICALLY helped them BUT IN REALITY PULLED DOWN THE ECONOMY. Why are these presidential acts inimical to the economy? These moves which are popular to the people are not good for the economy simply because these are DEAD INVESTMENTS of the government for the plain and simple reason that the government does not get any pecuniary gains out of it, the government simply does not get an ROI or RETURN OF INVESTMENTS out of these.

With the way things are going right now it seems like the people are out of logic in believing that the president is good or maybe he has a CHARISMA so strong and even much stronger than a SUPER TYPHOON.

DUTERTE: HOBBES-MACHIAVELLI HYBRID

By Bayawanon

Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian philosopher in the 16th Century through his treatise "The Prince" once recommended that "the end justifies the means", that it is just fine if the means is not good as long as the end of the of the means would be good.

This might be the battle-cry of the Philippine President Duterte "the end justifies the means", the means in killing bad people like the drug addicts and pushers would be justified when the country would already be purged.

The question would then be like this, how can the society be totally purged when the drug problem and criminality are almost unsolvable? Will the killings not stop until the last drug personality and last criminal fall? If the answer to these queries would be in the affirmative, then the decimation of the so-called bad people of the community would not stop for no one is perfect in this world.

Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher in the 17th Century had once suggested in his political theory he dubbed as "The Leviathan", that for a country to be peaceful, the people should surrender/submit their rights to a central ruler or THE ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGN whom he called the Leviathan whose purpose is to rule and to defend the people from the enemies of the state.

This thing is also happening now under the present Duterte presidency, the president is painting himself as the SUPERMAN OF THE PHILIPPINES or as the Leviathan, the sole savior of the people. But the problem is, he is asking the people to surrender their inalienable and constitutional rights to be free.

Are the acts of the president which are Machiavellian and Hobbsian like be justified under a democratic state like the Philippines? The answer would be a BIG NO, for according to a song written and sung by an illustrious Filipino folk singer, Freddie Aguilar, "Ibon man may layang lumipad" which in English means EVEN A BIRD HAS THE FREEDOM TO FLY. If a bird should have a freedom to fly, much more than man should live freely and democratically.

The Hobbsian-Machiavellian hybrid brand of the leadership of President Duterte to me, is actually a threat to democracy and to its aggregates and must be checked by the people, otherwise the same would leave their future to the limbo of uncertainty if not darkness.

DUTERTE VS. DUTERTE

By Bayawanon

A revolution is an attempt to overthrow a government if the revolution would be successful, the victors then could establish a REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT.

President Duterte is proposing a Revolutionary Government, this government cannot come into being without a revolution, now because the president is proposing a revolutionary government, does it mean to say that he must stage a revolution against the duly constituted authority of the Philippines which he heads? The answer must be in the affirmative for Duterte to establish a revolutionary government he must stage a revolution first.

But can he stage a revolution against a duly elected government which he heads? The answer must be in the negative, for how can a duly elected supreme national leader rebel against himself?

I can still vividly recall the lecture of former Justice Secretary Sedfrey Ordonez more than twenty years ago, where he stressed that a Revolutionary Government can only be established after a successful revolution has overthrown a de jure or even a de facto government. Now, how can President Duterte establish a Revolutionary Government without a revolution?

Can President Rodrigo Roa Duterte establish ipso facto a government which cannot be found in the Constitution? The answer would be a very BIG NO, and because of this, it seems like Duterte is again contradicting himself by proposing a form of government which is unconstitutional.

NEMO DAT QUOD NON-HABET "One cannot give what it does not have", the Philippine Constitution does not give anyone the power to establish a revolutionary government for the plain and simple reason that the same constitution does not provide for it. In connection to this, the President must stop talking about this Revolutionary Government in order for him to stop confusing the public, otherwise, it's gonna be him against himself.

IN THE MATTER OF PLANTING OF EVIDENCE, RUMOR-MONGERING AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES

By Bayawanon

From the extrajudicial killings to the imprisonment of Senator Leila de Lima, to the impeachment case of Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno and to the sacking of General Dionisio Santiago, the president has proven one thing ... PLANTING OF Pieces of evidence work. Because of this, the president is now the living example of many criminals and undesirable men in uniform plant pieces of evidence just to tag their enemies and eliminate them.

As far as the circumstances are the concerned planting of evidence, legal rumor-mongering and conspiracy theories are being used by the current national leadership just to accomplish their evil plans.

In many cases, the president has spoken on national televisions how to combat drugs by way of planting evidence like guns for the police to justify killing drug addicts and drug users.

In the case of Senator Leila de Lima, the current supreme national leader had tapped the services of many convicted drug lords and felons who are inhabiting in the National Penitentiary who are under the law are being disqualified to be witnesses in cases as provided by the Rules of Court of the judicial system of the country.

As to the matter of the impeachment case of Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, a leading dissenter against the current national leadership at the highest tribunal of the land, the complaint filed against her is simply based on clippings of national news coming from national newspapers and tabloids and not based on personal knowledge by the complainant.

In the special incident involving the sacking of the very honorable gentleman, General Dionisio Santiago as the Dangerous Drugs Board Chairman, the former decorated Army Officer and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, was just a victim of rumor mongering. The people of the Dangerous Drugs Board under his tutelage have attested to the fact that all the claims against Santiago were not true.

Now, if the current national leadership capitalizes on the planting of evidence, rumor-mongering and conspiracy theories in downing their enemies and former allies, the same can also be done in pushing their personal ambitions and interests and many innocent people's heads would fall because of this.

What would be more saddening is this ... because of fabricated evidence, conspiracy theories and rumor-mongering, the country would be destroyed by the politicians who are trying to do these things just for them to accomplish their selfish ends. What is alarming also nowadays is this, people easily believe in invented stories without personal investigations, and this fact would probably pull as down to the pits of national sabotage.

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE IS ALREADY ENOUGH

By Bayawanon

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is espousing Federalism for the sake of decentralization, devolution, and autonomy of the future or the soon to be created the Philippine States, that is good for the said steps would make the newly created states more self-supporting and can exist without too much aid from the national or central government.

The BIG PROBLEM is this, decentralization, devolution and autonomy can already be found in the Local Government Code of the Philippines which was exhaustively passed by the Philippine Congress through the very brilliant former Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr. So why still insist that FEDERALISM be adopted as the new system of government when the Philippines is actually and technically FEDERALIZED unitary-presidential system of government of the Philippines?

Decentralization is the act of the central government to diffuse its powers and give it to the local government units, happily it is happening now in the countryside by way of the Local Government Code of the Philippines.

Devolution is the act of the national government to delegate its powers to the local government units like its police powers, the power of taxation and its power of eminent domain. Luckily, this is happening too via the Local Government Code again.

Autonomy is the act of the government to give the semblance of self-rule to some groups of ethnic minorities, by giving them a government outside independence which would fit to their cultures, heritage, and traditions. This is also happening now in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or ARRM since it is mandated by the 1987 Constitution that the same be established and that the same was properly consummated by way of the Local Government of Code.

Another semblance of federalism in our present unitary-presidential system of government is the existence of the ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS of the Philippines wherein the country is divided administratively into seventeen parts for purposes of economic development and purposes of a swift allocation of basic goods and services to the administrative regions and the provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays under them.

So why federalize the Philippines when the same is actually federalized because of the Local Government Code? Will we federalize our own country just for us to spend money and actually divide the same?

To me federalism is good but it is very costly, hence it is only good for rich countries. Imagine our country to be divided into different states, with each state having its own executive officer in the person of the state president or governor, having its own senate and house of representatives, having its own cabinet, having its own judiciary and having its own tax system, that would tantamount into bloating the bureaucracy. Bloating the bureaucracy means big government and big government means BIG NATIONAL SPENDING.

Another point is this, if FEDERALISM would push through, this can be a big step or even a gargantuan leap for the autonomous regions to successfully grab independence because they, in a process could have their own government, territory, sovereignty, and people, hence it is a big threat for the Philippines in losing the Muslim Mindanao.

By virtue of the following premises and arguments, I hope and pray that every one of us shall forget FEDERALISM and instead be contented for the present set-up of governance in our country which is the unitary-presidential form of government which is actually federalized by way of the Local Government Code of 1991. So be it.

WINDMILLS THE DUTCH WAY SHALL BE INTRODUCED IN THE PHILIPPINES

By Bayawanon

46 mins · 

I propose that we have to establish windmills the Dutch way. The windmills were established by the Dutch to ease the big waters during the floodings, eventually the same was converted into many forms like sawmills, paper machines etc. The same can be used also in producing electricity.

The windmills can also be good tourist destinations for both local and international tourists. We have some pumping stations in Manila to take out waters during floodings but the same is not used for electrification or industrialization. We have windmills in Ilocos but the same is only used for electrification and tourism purposes only but cannot be used in managing the floods. All we need is to build a uni-usage kind of windmills meant for electrification, industrialization, tourism and flood control, and that's the windmills the Dutch had invented.

If the Dutch were able to solve the problems of flooding by way of the windmills and eventually such invention helped their tourism, electrification, and industries, then there is no way for us Filipinos to do the same.

The Dutch were able to establish nine thousand windmills to date whereas the Filipinos have only established some in Ilocos Norte. Take note of the disparity, this difference between the Dutch and the Filipinos in the matter of windmill building shall be equated for the future of the Philippines and for the beginning of the so-called FILIPINO GOLDEN AGE.

In connection to this, our compatriot Filipino engineers, urban planners, architects, and industrialists shall be sent to Netherlands to study their windmills for the Philippines to adopt the same and adapt its system for the sake of Philippine national development. So be it.

http://thetravelingdutchman.com/the-windmill-and-its-important-role-in-dutch-history/

THE PRESIDENT IS CONTRADICTING HIMSELF

By Bayawanon

The president is making some steps to get rid of some agencies which overlap functions with other bureaus by defacing the same in line with his program of downsizing the bureaucracy. This act of the chief executive of the land is very laudable since the government can economize by way of such acts.

But it is clear that he is contradicting himself because he is promoting FEDERALISM, since this type or system of government bloat the bureaucracy. Imagine if the Philippines would be divided into several regional states, there could be several executive departments, there could be several judicial departments and there could also be several legislative departments.

If the president is really serious in streamlining the government then he must forget FEDERALISM, for such type of governance, promotes gargantuan and gigantic government. It is true that the current Philippine state may gain something out of the present streamlining of bureaus by the Office of the President but the Philippines would lose big time in founding many states out of the current unitary system of governance, since in the creation of those newly federated states, we need a sizable sum of money for the realization of the same.

In connection to this, I support the president in streamlining the present bureaucratic system so that the government would save enough money out of the overlapping of functions of some existing agencies, but I oppose the planned adoption of FEDERALISM for it promotes big government, since big government means BIG GOVERNMENT SPENDING.

I hope that the president would reconsider his proposal to shift our system of governance from unitary to federalism for the same may tantamount to a wastage of government money and may also result for the president contradicting himself, he being a sponsor of the streamlining of government bureaucracy and at the same time an advocate of federalism.

In conjunction to this, the president should not just make decisions hastily, for haste makes waste. He must instead thoroughly study matters before deciding since his position is not an ordinary position and his decisions have a big role in making or breaking a nation.

THE PROPOSED DUTERTE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL

By Bayawanon

Inclusio unius est exclusio alterius says a latin legal maxim, this saying means in English that "what is included is deemed excluded', this legal saying is well entrenched and well respected in the world of STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution does not have any provision which provides for a revolutionary government, so why does the president insist on this matter when the constitution does not provide for it? Clearly, if the constitution does not talk about this REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT, it must follow that it is unconstitutional for INCLUSIO UNIUS EST EXCLUSIO ALTERIUS, " what is not included is deemed excluded".

There were, however, two instances in Philippine History that there were Philippine Revolutionary Governments namely: 1.) The Aguinaldo Regime (1898-1901) and 2.) The Corazon Aquino Regime (1986-1992). These governments existed only after a successful revolution happened against the preceding governments it followed.

In the case of the Philippine Revolutionary Government under the Aguinaldo presidency, the same was historically, properly installed after the revolutionaries with the help of the Americans outlasted the once dreaded Spanish conquistadores.

The Philippine Revolutionary Government under the stewardship of President Corazon Aquino was successfully, properly installed to power after a bloodless people power revolution against the despotic leadership of the former strongman Ferdinand Marcos, who fathered the ill-fated Martial Law.

In the case of the present national leadership, the Duterte government, it was properly installed by the people by way of the 2016 Presidential elections where the current president was elected by the Filipino people, hence the present regime cannot make use of the revolutionary government to operate in the islands because the same did not come into being via a revolution

Because of the foregoing arguments, the proposed revolutionary government suggested by no less than the Honorable President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is not in line with the constitution and is even repugnant to the history of our storied country, the Philippines, and must be downplayed by the people as NOTHING BUT A FORM OF RUMOR MONGERING.OR WORST FEAR MONGERING.

In conjunction to this, I hope that the president should stop making any statements that would spread fear to the people such as this, for his bounden duty is to protect and serve the populace of his country and not to destabilize the same nor spread fear against its people.

WHEN MORALLY WRONG DECISIONS LOOK NORMAL

By Bayawanon

The people would like to have changed in the society, but change cannot come without violence nowadays. Killings are happening in the name of change, and it seems like the people are applauding the efforts of the government in purging the community by eliminating the so-called undesirable citizens of the country, the drug personalities.

Is extrajudicial killing part of the change? Is it not that killing is bad? Can the support of the people to the Philippine government in seeking change by way of extrajudicially killing the undesirables contradict to morality and change?

If killing which is not morally right be justified to effect change, it seems like the people are contradicting themselves. If the people contradict themselves, something must be wrong with them.

This ambivalence on the part of the people looks normal anyway since it is now prevalent nowadays. Sad to say, the prevalence of morally wrong decisions looks and sounds good when the majority approves it.

When the majority of the people approve a morally flawed policy or policies by the authorities, such flawed programs of the state look legal and moral when the same is actually the other way around.

When the people who are supporting an abusive regime are the majority of the populace, an illegal act or acts by the authorities to effect change can be legal, moral, ethical and proper because the majority is always right in this modern Philippine society.

When the people like to have change in just one click of their fingertips to happen, morally wrong decisions by the state like extrajudicial killings may take place, and human rights abuses against the so-called undesirables may be committed by the government agents, anyway the public would simply approve it the name of ABRUPT or AUTOMATIC CHANGE.

FEDERALISM IS GOOD BUT VERY COSTLY

By Bayawanon

Federalism is good in the sense that it foments decentralization, devolution, and autonomy in favor of the smaller government units, but the fact that it is very costly for it to operate in a third world country like the Philippines, I instead prefer the old UNITARY FORM of government to continually operate in the Philippines.

Federalism is working well in the United States of America, Canada, Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, Switzerland Malaysia, Australia and many rich countries in the world. These rich countries can afford to have federated states in their jurisdiction because they have the money to maintain the operation of their federated states, in this connection, this type of government is NOT IDEAL for third world countries since it is very costly and the passage of the same may simply bloat the bureaucracy.

The United States of America is divided into federated states, Canada is composed of several federated provinces and Australia is also composed of different federated territories because there is a necessity for them to divide their respective territories because of its vastness. These countries have also the right to divide their territories because they have enough resources to maintain their divided and federated locales. In the contrary little and third world countries may become poorer if they would divide their territories and federate the same.

WHY IS IT COSTLY?

Shifting the UNITARY FORM of government to a FEDERAL FORM would be costly on the following grounds:

1.) For one, in order for a unitary form of government to be divided and be federated, the country's constitution needs to be amended first by way of a constitutional convention or via constituent assembly by Congress (Philippine setting), and once it passes through the proper processes, it shall be approved by the people by way of a plebiscite or a referendum. Because of this the government would spend so much money, maybe by hundreds of billions for a federal state to be operative;

2.) Once the country is divided and be federated into several states, each state shall have its own government separate and distinct and independent from each other. Every federated state shall have its own executive officers like a president or a governor, it shall have its own cabinet, it shall have its own judiciary and it shall have its own congress.

The central or federal government's executive department, legislative department, and judiciary would continually function, because of this the government would be bloated and gargantuan spendings would happen to the detriment of the basic services of the same.

3) In a federal form of government, every federated state government, territory or region shall have its own TAX SYSTEM which is separate and distinct from the CENTRAL OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, hence it would be burdensome for the business people, property owners, and the taxing public by taxing their taxable income twice. first by the federated state and second by the central/federal government.

In view of the foregoing premises, I hope that the current national leadership of the small and poor government of the Republic of the Philippines should think twice or even thrice, if not a thousand times in its decision to adopt FEDERALISM as its new form of government before the PHILIPPINES would face an uphill economic repercussion by way of too much spending, which would stem from the sprouting of federated states or regions and by way of maintaining its sustenance and continued existence.

NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW

By Bayawanon

First, the president had recommended to Congress to give a small amount as budget to the Commission on Human Rights since the same is playing too much of a fiscalizer against the government's atrocities. Now, the highest leader of the land is threatening the Ombudsman to probe its alleged irregularities by forming a would be commission with the sole function of probing the same in the midst of the investigation of the Ombudsman against his alleged ill-gotten wealth.

Why is the president doing these things? Is he hiding something? Do these acts of his to check the Commission on Human Rights and the Ombudsman be considered as his steps to stall the investigations against the alleged human rights abuses of the government and his alleged laundered money from the coffers of the government?

Why won't he let the CHR do its duties in finding the truth as regards the alleged government atrocities like the extrajudicial killings? If he is not hiding something, why won't he let the investigation of the Ombudsman against him take its course? If he has nothing to hide, then why should he be afraid?

As a lawyer and as a member of the bar, he is an officer of the court and also an officer of the community. Good officers of the court and the community seek the light leading to the truth, so why not look for the truth?

If the president is not guilty as charged by Senator Trillanes of amassing an unexplained wealth, then the truth will set him free by way of the investigations against him, in connection to this I hope that the probe by the Ombudsman in the matter of his alleged ill-gotten wealth push through.

Let the justice system of the Philippines take its course and let the weighing scale of that blindfolded lady tilt in favor of the interest of justice. Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law over and above any interest of any individual, be they ordinary citizens or be they honorable leaders of the country like the president, for clearly and unequivocally the long honored maxim "NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW" must be respected.

ANOTHER CASE OF PRESIDENTIAL FLIP-FLOPPING?

By Bayawanon

In his recent speech before the PHILCONSA or the Philippine Constitutional Association, President Rodrigo Duterte does not favor the DESTRUCTION of the Philippine Constitution since according to him DESTROYING the constitution tantamounts to the division of the people and the breakage of the country.

This statement of the president runs counter to his campaign in favor of FEDERALISM since for the same to push through and be adopted as a new system of government of the Philippines, the constitution has to be revised or amended. Amendment or revision of the constitution is technically the destruction of the same.

Is this another case of presidential flip-flopping or is this a new kind of presidential paradigm shift? As all, we know he constantly changes decisions, sad to say the decisions that he keeps on changing play a vital role in breaking and or making a country.

Anyway, I hope that his speech would be a good new step for the president to ABANDON HIS ADVOCACY FOR FEDERALISM for I believe that this system of government may lead to the division of the Philippines, and I hope further that he won't change his decision to abandon his campaign for FEDERALISM, otherwise his credibility would or may erode as ever.

If he would change his stand regarding this issue, then he would be considered as the most outstanding flip-flopping president in the history of mankind if not in the history of the universe from the outset of its creation.

ROBREDO CAN BE A GOOD PRESIDENT

By Bayawanon

I'll tell you, Ma. Leonora "Leni" Gerona Robredo could be a good president if the present president steps down, becomes incapacitated, impeached or dies. She could be good in the economy for she is an A.B. Economics degree holder from the University of the Philippines and she has a Master in Business Administration degree from San Sebastian College.

It is also expected that she can have a good human rights record as a future president for she has been a human rights lawyer, specifically a women's rights advocate and lawyer in Naga City.

Her three-year stint as a lady legislator in the House of Representatives and her short sojourn to the Vice Presidency may also help her be a good number one national leader of the land, lead the country and unite the same.

Her resignation as Housing and Urban Secretary of the Duterte Cabinet was a great patriotic act on her part as a protest against a sexist, despotic and destructive regime.

To sum it all up, the current second-highest leader of the land is actually prepared to take the reins of power of the presidency if the president resigns, becomes incapacitated, dies or impeached, for she is mentally and scholastically prepared to be one, not to mention the fact that she has also the experience to be one.

Above all, the Vice President has actually a great moral fiber to lead the country for she had not met any controversy which affected her morality which would probably eventually affect her leadership and she has also a great principle which would serve as her guiding light to be an incorrupt, honest and service oriented leader.

THE MARK OF A GOOD SENATOR

By Bayawanon

Sometimes on 2003, then Navy Lt. Sr. Grade Antonio Trillanes IV together with some young officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines staged a military coup against then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who was later on charged with many cases after her presidency including election sabotage and plunder. Trillanes and company staged a coup in order for the people to get rid of a corrupt government, Trillanes' coup was unsuccessful but such a coup enlightened the people on what the truth was all about.

Trillanes never asked pardon from the former president and served his sentence in jail. He, later on, ran for the Senate and won, while in his first term, he became a staunch oppositor against the Macapagal-Arroyo regime beset with so much corruption issues. Macapagal-Arroyo was later on jailed for her alleged corrupt acts but was later on freed by a Supreme Court under her ally president.

In the early part of his second term, he exposed the alleged corruption of the then Vice President of the Philippines Jejomar Binay. Through the Senate hearings conducted to probe Binay, the people of the Philippines were impressed that Binay committed the acts charged by Trillanes and his senator allies, hence Binay was soundly defeated in the 2016 Philippine Presidential derby. After Binay's term as Vice President, he was charged in court with corruption cases together with his son, a former City Mayor.

As of the present, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is exposing the present Philippine government for its dreaded national policy on the WAR ON DRUGS which is coupled with extrajudicial executions. He is also exposing people some of whom are government elected officials and are close to the president for having been involved in the drug trade.

Despite his dedication as a good defender of democracy, there are still steps from his political enemies to take him out of his duties as a senator of the land. An ethics complaint was filed by an unethical senator against Trillanes who only did his job to find the truth.

These are the MARKS OF A GOOD SENATOR, who is unfortunately under fire for being patriotic and for trying his best to defend the best interest of his country and of his people.

QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERS

By Bayawanon

A good servant serves the people without conditions, he serves the people unconditionally because he loves them. A good servant is willing to die for the people that he loves most, he has no plans to decimate the folks who are undesirable because he gives them a chance to change.

If a leader starts to eliminate part of the populace who are not on the right path, can you consider him as a good servant? If a leader encourages good people and good implementors of the law to kill bad people, can he be considered a good motivator? If a leader starts to berate people, institutions, and countries on top of his voice with the world watching, can you consider him as a good one?

Can the citizens be considered as good ones if they would condone the bad behavior of their leader? Can the populace be considered as good partners of its leaders in nation building when they are not checking the abuses of the latter? Can the people be counted as good agents of change when their leader makes dreaded steps towards change by way of bloody policies to purge the community?

Do the people make use of their critical thinking in supporting a policy which may affect them or does they only make use of their gut feeling in supporting the same? Do the people change views when a good leader makes bad decisions or do they simply and continually support their leaders whether they are right or wrong because they are their political icons whatever happens?

These type of questions are the queries that the Filipino people need to answer, for them to serve as guides so that their country, the Pearl of the Orient Seas whom many foreign conquerors fell in love with, known otherwise as the Philippines, would reach greater heights if not its GOLDEN AGE. Amen.

DURA LEX, SED LEX

By Bayawanon

Former Brazilian Catholic Archbishop Dom Elder Camara was famous in his words which I quote, " When I gave foods to the poor, I was called as a saint, but when I questioned the government why are these people remain poor, I was called as a communist". It seems like it is also happening now here in the Philippine Islands, for when someone questions the DRUG WAR of the president to be not consonant with the Constitution, he or she would be branded as an ADDICT for having sided with the drug users and pushers.

Such kind of an argument is so flimsy, illogical and an insult to the intelligence of an average mind, for questioning the government in its illicit ways in eliminating drugs is not immoral but in line with the moral duty of anyone to correct what is wrong.

I'm in favor of the DRUG WAR since drugs destroy the moral fiber of the society, but I'm not in favor the way it is being handled in the country right now. Why not fight drugs in line with the laws of the land? Why not combat drugs in congruence to the Constitution?

We are living in a government of laws and not of men, so why not laws and reasons reign over the perceptions of many which are not corollary to the laws of the land? Disrespecting the laws of the land is purely and simply a mockery of justice, hence DRUG WAR not in line with the laws of the state is a disrespect to the laws itself, and logically would constitute a mockery of justice.

Will we let our country be led by the mockers of justice or will we let the rule of law reign in our midst? As a concerned citizen of this country, you have all the faculties to discern what is good from evil, and you have the decision which you would prefer.

Laws were/are created so that there could be order in the society, why not the government authorities who are implementing the same cannot follow it? Are they simply ignorant of the law or are the simply intentionally, flagrantly violating it? They must follow the law, for "DURA LEX SED LEX", or THE LAW IS HARD, BUT IT IS THE LAW.

LET JUSTICE BE DONE THOUGH HEAVENS FALL

By Bayawanon

Why is it that the Blue Ribbon Committee does not make any step to call Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte to be investigated before the Senate Halls when his name is floating as one of the people involved in the 6.4 Billion peso shabu smuggling at the Bureau of Customs? Is it because Sen. Richard Gordon who was helped by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte to retake his Senate duties is heading the Blue Ribbon Committee?

In connection with the abovementioned propounded questions of mine, I am challenging the good Senator from Olongapo City and Zambales Province to be a man of principle, to be a good Filipino statesman by finding the truth, for the truth will set us free.

The truth in the matter of the 6.4 billion pesos worth of shabu being smuggled through the Bureau of Customs coming from China may be unearthed if the good Vice Mayor of Davao City would be investigated by the Blue Ribbon Committee. If the Vice Mayor is really innocent, his innocence would simply sprout by way of the Senate investigation. If he is really innocent, the truth will simply find its way and absolve him for no one can really put a good man down.

Let there be no sacred cows to be protected since every citizen is equal before the eyes of the law. If this present national leadership is really serious in its campaign against drugs, then let Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and the so-called Davao Group be investigated to shed light and to prove that the accusations against him/them are not true.

Let the interest of justice be served, let the weighing scale of that blind folded lady take its course, for no one is above the law and LET JUSTICE BE DONE THOUGH HEAVENS FALL. Amen.

LET US FASTEN OUR SEAT BELTS

By Bayawanon

Time will come that nothing will be left to the coffers of the government because of its FREE SOCIAL SERVICES. Free social services are now sprouting like mushrooms in our government, we have the conditional cash transfer or 4 Ps, the free WIFI, the free college education, the extension of the life span of driver's licenses, the extension of the life span of passports, the free hospitalization and free medication.

These social services are good for the people but not good for the government, for how can the government operate effectively if it has squandered the money intended for the operation of its existence?

The government has two functions, the governmental and the proprietary functions. The governmental function of the government is the function whereby the government purely serves the people in the name of PUBLIC SERVICE whereas, the proprietary function of the government is the function of the state whereby some government instrumentalities earn money/monies for its operation and that the money/monies derived from its operation shall be used for its further services.

Can the money/monies lost by way of the free social services of the government which should have been the gains of the proprietary functions be recovered somewhere? The answer would be a big NO. Where shall the government take the recoupment of the loss of money by the same? Of course, the government will hike the taxes so that the same may recover what it lost by way of its social services.

If the taxes will skyrocket probably next year to recoup the government's losses via its free social services, INFLATION at its biggest, highest and widest degree might happen in the Philippines and an ECONOMIC CRISIS is not remote.

Secondly, with the downward spiraling of our peace and order situation because of the extrajudicial killings, and the communist and Muslim insurgencies, the foreign investors might shy away from having business in the country and foreign tourists may also think twice about visiting the country. Because of these, the economy would weaken and a bleak economic future for us might be in the offing.

We may not feel the economic recession by now, but the long-term effect of the indecisions of the current administration would soon be felt by us in due time. We have no other recourse by then but to FASTEN OUR SEAT BELTS.

WHAT SHALL WE DO NOW?

By Bayawanon

Now that the Philippines is under the management of Duterte, is the Philippines better off compared to fourteen months ago? Has the economic condition of every Filipino improved? Has the minimum wage of every worker increased? Has the peso strengthened against the dollar? Have the prices of the basic goods and commodities of every common man steadied or lowered?

Has the drug problem of the Philippines been solved by the current national leadership in three to six months as promised by the presidential candidate Duterte before? Has the peace and order problems of the Philippines been remedied by the present national leadership as what as he pledged us in the presidential elections?

If the answer of anyone in the aforementioned questions would be in the negative, then I can safely say that the president is only good in extrajudicial killings and also of leaving the Philippine islets/islands lying in the West Philippine Sea to China, no more, no less.

Where is now the TRUE CHANGE that he has promised in his presidential campaign? Were the promises that he made in the elections only form part of his political strategy just to have the presidency? Does it mean that he only deceived the people?

Will the problems being enumerated and being asked above be remedied in his incumbency or will the same worsen in his term? If the economic, peace and order and territorial problems would worsen in the next few months what do you think would be the solution to such a dilemma? Will the resignation of Duterte be the answer to our problems?

If he cannot really deliver as a national leader and still he would not resign what shall we do as a people? The answer lies on you my friend, it is ONLY YOU together with the silent majority of the Filipinos who can solve the political disaster that we are facing now called DUTERTE.

DUTERTE AND COMPANY SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED

By Bayawanon

President Duterte, Secretary Lorenzana, General Ano and General Bato must be investigated regarding the Marawi crisis since they knew the fact that the composite group of Maute, ISIS, and Abu Sayyaf would attack Marawi basing on the interviews they had.

Duterte, Bato, Lorenzana, Ano, and company knew the fact that the ISIS, Maute and Abu Sayyaf would attack Marawi City by way of intelligence reports but they did not do anything that may possibly avert the looming security problem.

The quartet has underestimated the intelligence reports and even managed to go to Russia for the president's state visit in the said country. Such state visit was very inopportune for the same was done at the height of a treat to the Phillippines' state security.

President Duterte and company should have deferred the Russian state visit and should have prepared a grand military plan to avert the security threat to the City of Marawi. Such omission or failure to defend the Islamic City of Marawi can be considered as an incompetence on the part of the president and his National Security Cluster of his Cabinet which shall be investigated by the proper authorities.

If the people felt sad on what happened to the SAF 44 to the effect that they wanted PNOY to be investigated and prosecuted, then Duterte and company must be investigated too, since the damage being inflicted by the government in the matter of the Mamasapano massacre would just be a speck compared to the damage of the incompetence of Duterte, Lorenzana, Bato, Ano and company in the Marawi crisis.

LOSS-LOSS SITUATION

By Bayawanon

The so-called "independent foreign policy" of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte does not give good to the Philippines and actually puts the Philippines in a loss-loss situation for the following reasons which I would discuss below to wit: 1.) The independent foreign policy of President Duterte technically tilts to China and Russia; 2.) The independent foreign policy foments the president to loan gargantuan amounts of money which would be hard for the Philippines to pay; 3.) The independent foreign policy emboldens China not to respect the decision of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas in the matter of the West Philippine Sea and the Spratlys.

I. -- The independent foreign policy of President Duterte technically tilts to Russia and China.

The foreign policy of Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte is not actually independent as a matter of fact it favors China and Russia more than their geopolitical rivals, because of this the geopolitical rivals of China and Russia like the European Union and the United States may distance from the Philippines which may result to possible of divestment of their businesses interests in the Philippines that may be the window for the economic collapse of the country.

It is true that U.S. President Ronald Trump promised to support President Duterte but the truth is this, Trump is not America and America is not Trump.

Just recently the U.S. House of Representatives has begun its investigation regarding the human rights atrocities the Duterte government is doing, and this would be the start of a Philippine-America relations to get sour if not the cessation of good relations between the two countries.

II. -- The independent foreign policy foments the president to loan gargantuan amounts of money which would be hard for the Philippines to pay.

It is a public knowledge that the president has loaned from many countries like China and Russia and such loans are so colossal that it would take years for the Philippines to pay it. This has happened to the Philippines before, during the time of President Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos where and when the Philippines incurred gigantic borrowings from the international community which we are still sadly paying for as of this point.

The possible inability of the Philippines to pay the loans it has incurred may lead also to an economic crisis, since the income derive by the Philippines from its Gross National Income and Gross National Product can simply be used by the same to its loans to China, Russia and others and little would be left for the maintenance of its governmental operations.

III. -- The independent foreign policy emboldens China not to respect the decision of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas in the matter of the West Philippine Sea and the Philippines

If China won't respect the decision of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas regarding the ownership of the West Philippine Sea and some islets and islands at the Spratlys, the more reason that China won't respect such decision by way of the independent foreign policy of China.

The independent foreign policy of Duterte would render meaningless the decision of the International Tribunal in favor of the Philippines since the same starts to actually sleep on her rights over the West Philippine Sea and the Spratlys issues.

By virtue of the foregoing premises, I believe that the INDEPENDENT FOREIGN POLICY of the Philippine strongman Rodrigo Roa Duterte is actually a LOSS-LOSS SITUATION for the Philippines.

DUTERTE IS THE LAW OF THE PHILIPPINES

By Bayawanon

According to plenty of circumstances happening in the countryside, it seems like the president stands as the number one law of the land. The president gets what he wants, and his allies who are practically his subjects follow him always to the extent of doing what the president orders without thinking twice.

The leading political figure of the Philippines had ordered the postponement of the Barangay elections last October, 2016 and the said elections was postponed as he wished, the same elections may be postponed again by this year on the ground that many if not majority of the village chiefs are involved in the illicit drug trade without enough dossiers, records, and evidence that may prove such allegations.

The supreme national leader in his speeches, would encourage police officers and civilians alike to kill drug addicts and his oral orders are actually happening. His braggadocio as regards to the incarceration of an opposition leader becomes a reality even without observing the normal legal processes.

He promised to the police officers that if they can kill drug addicts and if they're going to be charged in court for doing it, he's going to do everything to free them. Now, it is happening to the letter of his words by freeing a police officer charged of murder in connection to the dreaded DRUG WAR by lowering the case to homicide and by reinstating the same to his former post.

Basing on these circumstances, it seems like the good leader of the land is weilding absolute power and what is not good with this is, the majority of the Filipino people are clapping their hands in approval even in times when the president makes decisions that are inimical to their existence and to the existence of the democratic aggregates of the land.

It seems like the Filipino citizens have already submitted their inalienable rights to liberty, life, property and happiness to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, since clearly he is now ruling the Philippines absolutely and apparently he is now the law of the land.

THE SECRET WEAPONS OF JEFF HORN TOWARDS VICTORY

By Bayawanon

II'm still in awe why Manny Pacquiao lost the World Boxing Organization Welterweight Boxing diadem. The once dreaded boxing lion was vanquished in the BATTLE OF BRISBANE via the pounding, head locking, head-butting, elbowing and youthful Jeff "The Hornet" Horn.
Pacquiao's courage and heart were still there for him to successfully defend his crown but he lost the same because of five secret weapons of Horn towards which I would discuss below and they are the following: 1) The JEFF FENECH FACTOR; 2) The REFEREE FACTOR; 3) THE CROWD FACTOR 4) The ROUGH HOUSING FACTOR and 5) The UNDERESTIMATION FACTOR.
*** THE JEFF FENECH FACTOR
Jeff Fenech is a three-division world boxing champion who also landed in the boxing hall of fame, who eventually a boxing coach. He once upon a time trained Australian boxer Nedal Hussein in a boxing match in Manila many years ago where Pacquiao nearly lost by way of dirty tactics.
Jeff Fenech is a consultant to the Horn camp and advised Horn to bring the fight to Pacquiao and make the fight a brawl. In connection with the result of the fight where Horn made some rough housing and connect the same to the Hussein fight, it seemed like Fenech advised Horn to do the dirty tricks for the latter to wrest the world title crown from Pacquiao.
*** THE REFEREE FACTOR
The referee of the said boxing event was clearly favoring Jeff Horn, as a matter of fact, no point was ever deducted to Horn in times where he would repeatedly headlock, elbow, hold and head butt the former champion.
A point deduction or even a warning against Horn would have affected the fight and Horn's momentum would have lessened had the referee stood neutral and judicious.
*** THE CROWD FACTOR
Due to the encouragement and support of the hometown crowd, Jeff Horn was fighting like a champion and Pacquiao was acting like a challenger. Seldom that we would see that a title fight is being staged in the turf of the challenger, usually a title fight is held in the champion's lair or in a neutral territory, because of this Horn got the advantage without Pacquiao noticing it.
*** THE ROUGH HOUSING FACTOR
Jeff Horn used everything to win, aside from his good lateral movements, body and head movements, punching power and speed, he had clearly resorted to dirty tactics such as head locking, head-butting, elbowing and holding. These dirty tricks on the part of the challenger had clearly diminished the movement of Pacquiao which eventually contributed to his loss.
*** THE UNDERESTIMATION FACTOR
Manny Pacquiao, the champion had clearly and unequivocally underestimated the challenger, since the challenger is not a household name in the world of boxing except Australia. Jeff Horn had only seventeen (17) fights across his name prior to the big fight and them same had no big fight aside from his fight with the former world champion, the South African Ali Funeka.
These are the silent factors which I believe contributed to Pacquiao's loss in his world title defense in Australia basing on my sportsman's point of view. Pacquiao can make these factors as an excuse, but as some would put it that "In victory or in defeat, a good athlete never has an alibi".

AN APPEAL TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE: DEMAND GENUINE CHANGE

By Bayawanon

The president, his men and supporters have bragged a lot that he, the president has made lots of things for the betterment of the country, but I see it the negative way.

To me the following are President Duterte's accomplishments in his first year : 

1) The burial of the dictator Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani

2) The imprisonment of de Lima by way of fake evidences and witnesses

3) Increase of SSS premiums

4) He befriended plenty of oligarchs, which he promised to be dismantled

5) He abandoned the decision of the International Tribunal of the Seas in the matter of the Spratlys and the West Philippine Sea

6) Contractualization in the private sector is still prevalent despite of his promise to deface the same 

7) EJKs in relation to the DRUG WAR

8) Rising of inflation rate due to the poor performance of the Philippine peso

9) Good peace and order situation, a matter which he always brag by being hit by terrorists in Bohol and Marawi

10) Giving VIP treatment to Nur Misuari, the master planner of the Zamboanga Siege

11) Giving travel junkets to his allies and friends

12) Incurring plenty of loans from Russia, Japan, China etc., etc

13) Hostilities against the traditional allies of the Philippines like the European Union and the United Nations.

The following are expected to happen next year: 

1) Passage of the Death Penalty Law

 2) Passage of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program.

Are these accomplishments and plans good for the Philippines? If you feel like these are good for the country, then support the president. If you feel like these things are for the downward spiral of our motherland, then challenge the present administration to take another course of action for us to attain development. If you feel like the current national leadership would insist on its steps towards national destruction, then demand CHANGE.

Do not condone the fault of the majority who simply rely on their emotions. Be a critical thinker, since national development should not just be left to one man alone. National development must be done via team playing, and you as a citizen of the Philippines has a role in its development too, and one way to attain development is to DEMAND GENUINE CHANGE.

Do not delay the demand for change for now is the right time to do it. Delaying it would give injustice to the fallen heroes of the 1896 Philippine Revolution and to the unsung Filipino Heroes of the Second World War who spent their lives, blood, tears and sweat so that this land of ours, known otherwise as the Pearl of the Orient Seas be truly a sovereign and independent country. Amen